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Entries in cataclysm (2)

Wednesday
Feb092011

Windows into Warcraft: Part One

In the dark, cold days of early December 2010, the inevitable truth once more made itself known. I was going to play World of Warcraft again.

I had been aware that this day was coming. Ever since Cataclysm was announced, I knew it would spark a renewed interest in that accursed game. My relationship with MMOs is devilish and circular. I get pulled into their vast expanses and unmatched depth, turned off by their repetition and vanity, and then my desire lies dormant until I feel the call in the back of my mind once again.

An event with the in-game magnitude of Cataclysm was, to me, a clear indicator of my inescapable future. I would resubscribe. That’s all there was to it. The genre has worn me down over these many cycles as I’ve stopped even trying to fight it. Instead of obsessing and pondering and planning over my return, I simply jumped in. The better to get it over with, I thought. 

And so, on December 11, 2010, I made it official. I once again provided Blizzard with my credit card information, adding me to the millions upon millions of hopeless souls that now must surely provide the bulk of that wicked company’s income.

I’m not going to lie, my reintroduction to the world was hardly dramatic. 

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Wednesday
Dec152010

Best of the Decade: World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft

Platforms: Windows, Mac OS

Release Date: November 23, 2004

Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment

Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

This one took some soul searching. After all, I have a history of hating this game about as much as I love it. World of Warcraft is undoubtedly one of the biggest time and money sinks that this industry has ever seen. It’s mindless. It’s repetitive. It’s expensive. It’s a waste of so much time that could be better spent playing other things.

Right?

Well, maybe not.

Yes it’s true that I seem to treat it like an addiction, something to be shoved out of the way and ignored for personal health rather than indulged in and enjoyed. 

What I was finally able to admit, after much thinking over the subject, that there must be a reason I continue to be drawn to this world. Beyond seeing numbers crawl upward as I gain levels, beyond the addiction of growing stronger and gaining cool new stuff, there is truly something greater here that no other game in the past decade could match.

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